The Community Foundation inspires hope, leadership, and generosity in our community by bringing economic stability, professional development, and collaboration to the nonprofit sector. As a community facilitator, we coordinate with nonprofit professionals throughout Colorado to provide capacity-building opportunities that:

• Increase efficiency, resiliency, and success for nonprofits in Southwest Colorado
• Build relationships and facilitate networking between nonprofit professionals
• Create opportunities for peer discussion around best practices
• Enhance relationships across county and geographic boundaries

Monthly Tips, Tricks & Treats 

• 1st Thursday in Pagosa Springs
• 2nd Thursdays in Cortez

Join us once a month for nonprofit tips, tricks and treats! These 1-hour sessions are intended to get nonprofits together for networking, idea sharing, and providing helpful tools for organizations. Feel free to bring your lunch, we’ll take care of dessert. RSVP for next month’s session here!

The Community Foundation is a proud Regional Champion for ColoradoGives! We spearhead local participation in the state’s largest online giving event, Colorado Gives Day. We provide the regional giving platform, swcogives.org, and facilitate the collaborative promotion of more than 100 local organizations across our five counties, as part of Southwest Colorado Gives.

An Agency Fund is a long-term investment fund held and managed by the Community Foundation on behalf of a nonprofit organization. It provides consolidated investment management and convenience. After discussions with the nonprofit organization about objectives for the fund, we would recommend a financial goal. For more information on Agency Funds, please see our Agency Fund Fact Sheet.

Current Agency Funds

• Adaptive Sports Association
• Axis Health System
• Durango Food Bank
• Durango Playfest – Christina Erteszek Fund
• EMS Scholarship
• Flick & Knopick – Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Give Sonlight to the Next Generation
• Kiwanis Club Service
• La Plata County Humane Society
• Montezuma Land Conservancy
• San Juan Mountains Association
• Sheri Rochford Figgs – Durango Arts Center
• United Way
• Women’s Resource Center

The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado supports the nonprofit community through various partnerships and initiatives, as well as provides an opportunity for certain organizations that want to provide charitable services to their community, but need additional support.

To learn more about Fiscal Sponsorship and the application process, please take a look at our Fiscal Sponsorship Packet.

Current Fiscal Sponsorships

• America 250-Colorado 150 Project
• Bear Smart
• Café au Play
• Community Treehouse
• Durango Derailers
• Early Childhood Council of Archuleta County
• Earth Day Durango
• Friends and Neighbors in Need in Archuleta County
• Give a Dam
• Maria’s Literary Foundation
• Sail Durango

The Community Foundation’s LAUNCH Fund assists nonprofits to secure affordable capital to accommodate growth and keep fiscal health a priority. The Community Foundation has partnered with First Southwest Bank and First Southwest Community Fund to provide low-interest loan packages for nonprofits for projects such as the purchase or renovation of real estate or the purchase a piece of equipment. Leveraging First Southwest Bank’s CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) designation, the Community Foundation can provide access to terms that appeal to nonprofit boards and staff.

Grant Writing Resources

The information below is intended to assist nonprofits and funding entities across the region by accurately gauging the overall economic, social and environmental health of the communities in Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan Counties (Region 9).

• Region 9 Data Dashboard
• Livable Wage
• Broadband Roadmap
• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
• Community Development Action Plans (CDAP)
• Grant Writing – a monthly Grants Digest can be accessed on this page too!

• Board Source inspires and supports excellence in nonprofit governance, as well as board and staff leadership.
• Blue Avocado is the bimonthly newsletter of American Nonprofits, a membership organization that provides practical financial information and support to U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, staff, stakeholders, and volunteers.
• The Colorado Nonprofit Association is the voice of Colorado’s nonprofit community, offering its members a variety of services and technical assistance on starting and managing nonprofit organizations. Click here to download CNA’s Principles & Practices.
• The Colorado Grants Guide is a comprehensive directory of funding sources published by the Community Resource Center. For information, call (303) 623-1540 or visit CRC’s website.
• The Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable works to increase the quantity and the quality of charitable planned gifts to nonprofit organizations by offering specialized training to its members.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Colorado Chapter enables people and organizations to practice effective fundraising through ethical standards, education resources, and networking.
• Thinking of starting a new nonprofit? Click here for some valuable assessment tools from GrantSpace by Candid, and click here for some start-up resources from the Community Resource Center.

• Boettcher Foundation 
• Buell Foundation 
• Caring for Colorado Foundation
• Colorado Health Foundation
• Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
• Colorado Trust
• Daniels Fund
• Gates Family Foundation
• El Pomar Foundation 
• Kenneth King Foundation
• Next50 Foundation